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Why Boston won: The Bruins took a 2-1 series lead not because they were the better team in each period. Indeed, as the game went on, the Leafs had Boston increasingly on their heels and the Bruins wound up being outshot 19-6 in the third period and 48-38 on the night. However, goalie Tuukka Rask only was beaten twice by Toronto scorers, which allowed Bruins scorers to pounce when the Leafs made a slew of second-period mistakes. Boston would score five times in total, but their three goals in the middle frame ultimately was all they needed.

Why Toronto lost: The Leafs defense corps was a mess yet again and every Leaf who saw the ice other than Colton Orr was a minus player. Yes, Toronto needs to generate more offense – and an early third-period goal by Phil Kessel was a positive sign in that regard for Game 4 Wednesday – but the Leafs gave up 32 shots in the first two periods and you can’t give up four goals to the Bruins and expect to win. Had the Leafs played the entire game in the manner they played the third, the result might have been very different. But they didn’t and it wasn’t.

Play of the game: A mere 50 seconds after Toronto cut Boston’s 2-0 lead in half on a Jake Gardiner goal, a glaring turnover by Ryan O’Byrne led to Nathan Horton’s third goal in as many playoff games. And a miscue by Mark Fraser two minutes later gave the Bruins an insurmountable 4-1 lead after 40 minutes. Toronto’s comparatively strong third period couldn’t undo the damage the Bruins did in the last six minutes of the second.

Three stars
1. Tuukka Rask: He hasn’t been the focal point of the series, but Rask will be soon enough if he continues his outstanding play. The Finn improved his playoff save percentage to .929 and his 46 saves were a career high.

2. Zdeno Chara: Boston’s captain played the most minutes (27:31) of any skater and was tied with teammate Johnny Boychuk for most hits (seven). That he did so without a single turnover – by contrast, Dennis Seidenberg had five giveaways in 26:02 – only underscores how stable Chara is night in and night out.

3. David Krecji: Czech center had a goal and three points and now leads all playoff performers in points (seven) and plus/minus (plus-5).

What's Next: It’s only the fourth game of the series, but it might as well be a do or die for the Leafs, who would have a foot-and-a-half in the grave if the Bruins go up 3-1 in the series heading back to Boston for Game 5 Friday. Toronto simply cannot afford any type of prolonged mental lapse, as the Bruins clearly are capable of capitalizing whenever they do. – Adam Proteau

Why New York won: A combination of brute force and wanting it more. One reason I liked the Rangers as a playoff sleeper team: their big, deep, physical group of forwards. They don’t always generate a ton of goals but their bruising style, when deployed right, is tailor-made for playoff hockey. Ryan Callahan, Brian Boyle and company bludgeoned the Capitals on the forecheck all night long and their skill players like Rick Nash, Mats Zuccarello and Derick Brassard won battle after battle in the corners. The Rangers fed off the raucous Madison Square Garden crowd and outhit Washington 33-22.

Why Washington lost: Though the Caps were impressive erasing a Ranger lead twice in Game 3, they couldn’t match the Rangers’ compete level. Not one of their forwards stood out and that’s a problem when your team boasts Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Ribeiro. They took too many bad penalties and while they killed five of six infractions, all the time in the box kept Ovechkin off the ice and out of his rhythm.

Play of the game: Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh didn’t get an assist on Derek Stepan’s winner in the third period, but the goal wouldn’t have happened without him. He showed outstanding hands and poise keeping the puck in Washington’s zone, straddling the line and deking out Ovechkin of all people to get the puck deep, setting up a Zuccarello-to-Nash-to-Stepan tic-tac-toe.

Three Stars
1. Derick Brassard: Tallied a goal and two assists, plus five hits. Shows more fight in the trenches than he gets credit for. Including the regular season, now has 14 points in 16 games as a Ranger.

2. Brian Boyle: Finding his game after an awful regular season. A goal and an assist, 14-7 on faceoffs, played 20-plus minutes.

3. Ryan McDonagh: Steady as always and made the crucial play to set up Stepan’s go-ahead goal.

What’s next: The Rangers showed they aren’t ready to roll over and die by any means and their physical style can wear down an opponent and shift the advantage in their favor as a series progresses. The Caps must make some adjustments if they don’t want to head back to D.C. tied at two games apiece. It was open season on goalie Braden Holtby in Game 3. The big Blueshirt forwards buzzed the net. Washington’s defense must do a better job clearing the crease. More importantly, the Caps have to get Ovechkin going again. He had no points and just two shots in Game 3 and the Caps tried to force the puck onto his stick during a crucial late power play almost to make up for lost time. They need their best player(s) involved for a full 60 minutes next time. – Matt Larkin

Why Detroit won: The Red Wings had a step on the Ducks all night and, as is often the case, sweat beats skills. Pavel Datsyuk was his usual brilliant self throughout and the Detroit D-corps, led by Niklas Kronwall, stood tall and won the majority of the battles in front and in the corners. This was a full-team effort from the Wings, where no one other than Datsyuk really stood out – and that’s a good thing.

Why Anaheim lost: You can only rely on your goalie for so long before it goes pear shaped. The Ducks were outplayed badly for most of the night and it was only Jonas Hiller’s play that kept this from being a one-sided affair decided long before extra time. If the Ducks lose this series, they’ll look back on this game and wonder why they didn’t play with more fire when they had the Wings on the ropes.

Play of the game: There's six weeks of playoff hockey to go, but you won't see a better shot than the one unleashed by Datsyuk to tie the game at 2-2. It's was a perfectly placed laser, not in the corner where a puck can be flagged down by the trapper, but right in the dead space between the glove and shoulder. Popping the water bottle was the icing on the cake.

Three Stars
1. Pavel Datsyuk: Generated several scoring chances beyond the tying goal and set the tone physically, something the Wings need more of from players not named Kronwall or Cleary (or Abdelkader when he’s in the lineup).

2. Jonas Hiller: 46 saves, many in the how-did-that-stay-out?! vein.

3. Emerson Etem: Stood out for his speed, which almost potted him the go-ahead goal on a sweet in-tight forehand/backhand move on a semi-breakaway before his play down low help created the 2-1 tally.

What's next: Just when it looked like the Red Wings lack of depth would be their undoing they get goals from Damien Brunner, who’d scored just twice in the final 25 games of the regular season, and Brendan Smith, he of one goal in 51 games prior. The Ducks are getting production from up and down the lineup with 10 different players having found the back of the net. If Detroit can find the same balance, they’ll pull the upset. - Edward Fraser

Why Los Angeles won: Their stubbornness at Staples that helped the Kings to the league’s best home record is what willed them to a narrow Game 4 win. There was a notable dip in intensity in this match as fatigue caught up to the two teams. But instead of the lull working to St. Louis’ advantage, the Kings showed off an ability to battle in the face of adversity – something they never had to do on their Stanley Cup run. Great sign.

Why St. Louis lost: While the Blues had to hold their heads high after Game 3’s tough loss in a great game, this one has to bite. While neither team was at its best, the Blues jumped out to a 2-0 and, in a series that has been very low scoring to date, shouldn’t have allowed Los Angeles back. But that’s just what they did 10 minutes later. St. Louis didn’t finish strong enough, failing to register a shot in the first 10 minutes of the final frame and not coming close to setting up an opportunity with Brian Elliott pulled.

Play of the game: With the Kings trailing 3-2 in the third, Dustin Brown showed off all his tools. After using his brute strength to move from behind the net to control the puck along the boards, he made a quick pivot, took one look and whipped a beautiful pass right onto the stick of the incoming Anze Kopitar for a tip-in. With that goal, the Kings tied the game for the second time, but didn’t look back on this one.

Three stars
1. Justin Williams: Scored his second huge goal of the series. After potting the last-minute game-tying goal that sent Game 1 to OT, Williams connected on a tip-in for the winner in Game 4.

2. Mike Richards: The wily vet wasn’t great on the draw, winning 44 percent, but his two assists were huge. Both times he jumped on loose pucks – one was a solid pass, the other was a redirected shot.

3. T.J. Oshie: The little fireball got on the board with two goals in the prime real estate areas. His first was a tipped shot and his second was a rebound off the rush. This is a great example of why plus-minus is a useless stat for figuring a player’s value, since Oshie was a minus-3.

What’s next: You can bet Game 5 in St. Louis will be back to the high tempo workout we saw in Games 1, 2 and 3. Every game has been decided be one goal between these teams so far and now it’s down to a best-of-three series. It’s up to the Blues to hold home ice with a win the next time out, because if it goes the other way, Los Angeles will go back to its favorite place to play looking for the knockout punch. It’s too tight to predict this one, but bet on it being close to the bitter end with a weird bounce or bad penalty playing a decisive factor. The series has been too close for many shenanigans, but if one of these next games becomes a blowout it could get nasty. – Rory Boylen

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At least two teams are reportedly interested in acquiring the Sedins for their full cap hit and Canucks veterans could draw interest at the trade deadline. The Kings are looking to clear cap space by moving out Teddy Purcell.

The ongoing struggles of the Vancouver Canucks this season generated some speculation over possible roster moves.

By late-November, The Province's Jason Botchford suggested the Canucks could get an early start on deciding which players to move by the March 1 trade deadline. He felt veterans such as Ryan Miller, Alex Edler, Alexandre Burrows and perhaps even Daniel and Henrik Sedin could be on the move.

Botchford said he knows of two teams that would be willing to acquire the Sedins for their full combined salary-cap hit of $14 million. If the Canucks were to pick up part of that cap hit (which runs through 2017-18), he thinks more clubs would be interested.

The sticking point, of course, is the Sedins' willingness to be traded. So far, they've given no indication that they want out of Vancouver. As Botchford points out, such a move would likely have to take place in the off-season.

Even if the Canucks put the Sedins on the block, they're unlikely to fetch a significant return. While they're still putting up solid numbers (17 points in 26 games), the 36-year-old twins are well past their prime. Teams aren't going to give up a lot for a couple of fading stars. Picks and prospects, sure, but nothing that would immediately reverse the Canucks' fortunes.

As for Miller, he and Canucks management could be willing to work out a contract extension. Botchford's collegue Ben Kuzma doubts the Canucks place the 36-year-old goalie on the block by the trade deadline.

Kuzma notes Miller's stats aren't great this season. However, he feels he'll still be a good fit with Jacob Markstrom, buying some time until promising goalie prospect Thatcher Demko is ready to move up. He wonders if Miller might be agreeable to a two- or three-year deal worth between $4-$4.5 million per season. That's a significant pay cut from Miller's current $6-million annual salary.

Considering Miller's no longer an elite goaltender, he probably won't get much better than that on the open market. He could test next summer's free-agent market, but will likely find few decent offers. He could prefer to avoid uncertainty over his future by staying in Vancouver for a reasonable contract.

KINGS TRYING TO FREE SPACE WITH PURCELL MOVE

Los Angeles Kings left wing Teddy Purcell cleared waivers over the weekend. Signed as a free agent last summer to a one-year, $1.6-million contract, the 31-year-old managed only two points in 12 games this season. Illness and a lower-body injury sidelined him in October, and he was a healthy scratch in the Kings' last four games.

With 21 of 30 NHL teams carrying $2 million or less in cap space, moving Purcell's cap hit is difficult right now. The Kings obviously want to shed his salary without taking any back in a deal. They could be waiting until later in the season to find the right deal.

Rumor Roundup appears regularly only on thehockeynews.com. Lyle Richardson has been an NHL commentator since 1998 on his website, spectorshockey.net, and is a contributing writer for Eishockey News and The Guardian (P.E.I.).For more great profiles, news and views from the world of hockey, subscribe to The Hockey News magazine.

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Dubnyk carrying Wild and putting together a Vezina-type season

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Dubnyk carrying Wild and putting together a Vezina-type season

How good has Devan Dubnyk been for the Minnesota Wild this season? Well, according to his coach: "If he was in Toronto, there'd be no Carey Price."

It’s nowhere on the scale of grand gestures when compared to the ‘triple low-five’ P.K. Subban and Carey Price used to do at center ice, but Eric Staal and Devan Dubnyk of the Minnesota Wild have a rather interesting post-win ritual. At some point, Staal comes to Dubnyk in the dressing room and says, “You looked like you knew what you were doing tonight,” and the two of them bump fists. “I appreciate that,” is Dubnyk’s response. “I’m just trying to trick everybody just a little bit longer.”

But the fact of the matter is, Dubnyk is not tricking anyone. He’s playing in the best league in the world, one where posers and phonies get exposed pretty quickly. And he’s not only playing, he’s been a dominant force for the Wild this season. Among goalies with a minimum of eight appearances this season, no goalie matches Dubnyk’s .946 save percentage or his 1.65 goals-against average. His four shutouts also leads the league. With 35 saves in a 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs Tuesday night, Dubnyk was a winner in his 300th career start.

Them’s Vezina numbers. And Wild coach Bruce Boudreau, who knows a good sound bite when he sees one, had a pretty bold proclamation when it came to Dubnyk’s status among his brethren in the NHL this season. “If he was in Toronto, there’d be no Carey Price,” Boudreau said. “I’m just saying media-wise. I mean, he hasn’t allowed more than three goals in any game he’s played this year. He’s held us in. It was 17-3 in shots in the third period and they didn’t get any.”

Much has been made of Dubnyk’s renaissance since he adopted a technique known as head trajectory, which in its simplest terms, is tracking the puck with your head instead of your eyes. Before Dubnyk started doing it, he was out of the NHL, skating as a Black Ace as the Montreal Canadiens fourth goaltender in the playoffs. Since then, he’s been an elite goaltender in the NHL and he’s being paid like one on the second year of a six-year deal worth $26 million.

And there might be a reason for that. The past couple of seasons, teams have collapsed in front of their nets more than ever, leaving a bunch of bodies from both teams in the way. In those instances, tracking those pucks has become more important than ever. “You have to pick and choose when I’m going to use my height to find pucks and when I’m going to need to get low,” Dubnyk said. “I think it’s more on the rebounds when those pucks do get through or if they hit shin pads. If you can look first, you’re eliminating moves that don’t seem to happen and you’re just more efficient. I always say it should look relatively boring when I’m back there.”

The ability to self-analyze quickly and adapt also helps. Case in point was the goal scored by Tyler Bozak, who pounced on a turnover, then undressed Minnesota defenseman Matt Dumba before firing a backhander over Dubnyk’s shoulder. Dubnyk was clearly upset with himself after the goal, but instead of falling apart, he steeled his resolve and completely shut the door on the Maple Leafs.

“That goal goes in and I give myself a quick talking to and I realize that’s not my best way to stop a puck and move on,” Dubnyk said. “And just make sure I do it properly the next time.” And for a guy who sees the ice so well, Dubnyk didn’t notice the shaft of Mitch Marner’s broken stick in front of him for the longest time. In fact, it wasn’t until Ben Smith scored. “Was that the stick or the ice? It hit something,” Dubnyk said. “I actually think it was the ice. I’ll have to watch the replay, but it skipped hard.”

Three years ago, when Dubnyk went from Edmonton to Nashville to Montreal in one season and finished in the American League, those kinds of goals would have destroyed him. But that summer, Dubnyk signed with the Phoenix Coyotes and joined Mike Smith, who was plucked off the same scrap heap as Dubnyk a couple of years before. Then came the trade to Minnesota, then he saved their season, got a big contract and hasn’t looked in the rearview mirror…except to appreciate what he has now.

“It’s a position that’s extremely mental and when things start to pile up, it’s not a position you can play if you’re second guessing what you’re doing,” Dubnyk said. “It just doesn’t work. It doesn’t work for anybody. That whole year that seemed like forever, I always believed I’d get another shot somewhere. I’ve said it before, but it just allowed me to be grateful that I have a job in the best league in the world.”

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ECHL defenseman Anthony Calabrese is “lucky to be alive” after a “careless, reckless” hit, and Tyler Murovich, who delivered the blow, has been given a 12-game suspension as a first-time offender.

There are few plays scarier than seeing a player hit from behind and sent headfirst into the boards. That kind of play is made that much harder to watch when knowing the severity of the injury suffered.

During an ECHL contest on Nov. 24 between the Norfolk Admirals and Atlanta Gladiators, ECHL veteran Tyler Murovich delivered an incredibly dangerous shove to the back of Anthony Calabrese, a 24-year-old defenseman who’s only 12 games into his ECHL career.

The result of the hit was frightening. Calabrese was left laying face down on the ice, near motionless. The Admirals rearguard would eventually be placed on a stretcher, taken from the ice and transported to hospital.

That may seem harsh to some given that Murovich is a first-time offender, but given the severity of Calabrese’s injury, it actually seems like a somewhat light punishment.

As a result of the hit, Calabrese suffered broken C7 and T1 vertebrae. In simpler terms, he broke both his neck and his back. Oh, and he also punctured his lung. In fact, Calabrese told The Virginian-Pilot’s Jim Hodges that doctors told the young center that he’s “lucky to be alive.”

“It was a miracle, and they say I’m going to make a full recovery,” Calabrese told Hodges. “It’s going to be a long road, but I’d rather be alive than be in a wheelchair the rest of my life.”

What helped Calabrese escape with his life, he told Hodges, was advice he had gotten early in his career from a high school coach. Calabrese was taught that if he was ever going into the boards head first to lift his chin and turn to the side in an attempt to avoid taking the brunt of the impact with the top of his head.

“That’s honestly the only thing that registered in my mind when I was going in: at the last minute, pick my head up,” Calabrese told Hodges. “I remember picking my head up and turning it to the right.”

Thankfully, doctors told Calabrese that he can eventually return to the ice and that the injuries suffered from the hit won’t cost him his career. His spinal cord, he told Hodges, wasn’t damaged due to the hit. And, as hard as it may be to believe, doctors said it was the “best possible break” in a situation such as Calabrese’s.

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Power Rankings: Red-hot Blue Jackets still fighting for respect

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Power Rankings: Red-hot Blue Jackets still fighting for respect

The Blue Jackets have been the most pleasant surprise in the NHL this season, but it's still going to take convincing for the hockey world to believe they're for real.

We’ll totally understand if you’re having just a little trouble getting on board with the 2016-17 version of the Columbus Blue Jackets. After all, you’ve probably been burned before.

Their fan base certainly seems to be wary. Despite the fact the Blue Jackets are the surprise of the NHL and have emerged as one of the most dynamic and exciting teams in the league, they drawn fewer than 12,000 in three of their past four home games. Even their coach thinks the team has work to do to earn their fans’ trust. “I want our team to have a chip on their shoulder,” Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella told Michael Arace of the Columbus Dispatch recently. “I think they should. We’re trying to get respect in the league. Quite honestly, we should be disrespected because of where we’ve been.”

That won’t last long if the Blue Jackets keep this up. The league’s best power play continues to fuel one of the league’s hottest teams and has landed them at the top of thn.com’s weekly Power Rankings for the second time this season. Last week’s rankings in parentheses:

CREAM OF THE CROP

1. Columbus Blue Jackets (8)

2. Philadelphia Flyers (15)

3. Pittsburgh Penguins (6)

4. St. Louis Blues (2)

5. Chicago Blackhawks (5)

6. Montreal Canadiens (7)

7. New York Rangers (4)

8. San Jose Sharks (11)

9. Boston Bruins (20)

10. Calgary Flames (27)

Is there a bigger bargain or a shrewder off-season signing than Sam Gagner?...Steve Mason went from one of the worst goalies in the NHL early in the season to one of the best of late. His save percentage in his first 16 games was .892, but has improved to .947 in his past five… If Marc-Andre Fleury wants to get traded, he’s not doing himself any favor with his play lately…The Blues completed a 4-0-1 home stand with the game going into overtime…With Jonathan Toews and Corey Crawford already out, the Blackhawks lost defenseman Brent Seabrook in their 4-0 win over Arizona Tuesday night…How will the Canadiens and the surprising Alexander Radulov respond to the injury to Alex Galchenyuk?...The injury-ravaged Rangers saw Rick Nash go down with a groin injury and Matt Puempel to a concussion in their 4-2 loss to the Islanders Tuesday night…Joe Thornton passed Brendan Shanahan for 25th all-time on the NHL’s scoring list with an assist in a 2-1 win over Montreal last week…Anyone who predicted David Pastrnak would be in Rocket Richard Trophy contention a third of the way into the season is looking very bright at the moment…The Flames were already one of the hottest teams in the NHL without Johnny Gaudreau, then won their first two with him back in the lineup.

THE MUSHY MIDDLE

11. Washington Capitals (11)

12. Edmonton Oilers (14)

13. Ottawa Senators (12)

14. Los Angeles Kings (1)

15. New Jersey Devils (23)

16. Detroit Red Wings (16)

17. Nashville Predators (3)

18. Minnesota Wild (19)

19. Anaheim Ducks (10)

20. Winnipeg Jets (17)

Capitals coach Barry Trotz had some pointed words to Alex Ovechkin about his penchant for taking minor penalties of late. No cracks in the foundation, though. Just a frank discussion…The Oilers game Tuesday night against Buffalo was touted as Connor McDavid vs. Jack Eichel, the kind of narrative the Oilers have learned to accept. “Every night it’s Connor vs. Somebody,” said Oilers coach Todd McLellan…Goalie Craig Anderson started in the Senators’ 8-5 loss to Pittsburgh Monday night, but did not travel with the team for a three-game California trip to be with his wife as she undergoes treatment for throat cancer…The usually stingy Kings have given up 11 goals in their past three games. “That’s too many goals,” said Kings coach Darryl Sutter…Devils winger Taylor Hall on the aftermath of his clean, but devastating, hit on Philip Larsen Tuesday night: “I feel terrible.” Not to be trite, but Hall should not be feeling terrible about the way he has played since returning from a knee injury. He has five points in his past two games…Goalie Jimmy Howard will be back in uniform for the Red Wings when they host Columbus Friday night, but will have a difficult time pushing Petr Mrazek out of the crease…After missing four games with an upper-body injury, James Neal scored a goal in a 4-3 Predators’ win over Colorado Tuesday night…Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk, whose career was revived when he came to Minnesota, will make his 300th career start tonight in Toronto…Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle could not pull Jonathan Bernier during his team’s 8-3 loss to Calgary because backup John Gibson was battling a stomach virus…Over the past 30 years, only Teemu Selanne and Alex Ovechkin have scored goals at a better pace than Patrik Laine of the Jets is scoring them now.

VYING FOR THE PARTICIPATION BADGE

21. New York Islanders (26)

22. Tampa Bay Lightning (22)

23. Carolina Hurricanes (25)

24. Buffalo Sabres (29)

25. Florida Panthers (24)

26. Vancouver Canucks (18)

27. Toronto Maple Leafs (13)

28. Dallas Stars (28)

29. Arizona Coyotes (21)

30. Colorado Avalanche (30)

With points in each of their past five games, four of them wins, the Islanders are easily on their most successful string of the season…The Lightning could get Ryan Callahan, Jason Garrison and Jonathan Drouin back for their home game against Vancouver Thursday night…Jordan Staal, sidelined for the past four games with a concussion, likely won’t be available to the Hurricanes for a three-game road trip through California that begins tonight…After playing almost 500 games in the minors, defenseman Erik Burgdoerfer made his NHL debut in the Sabres’ 3-2 overtime win over Washington Tuesday night… Panthers have gone to overtime in four of their five games GM Tom Rowe has been behind the bench. They’ve won one in overtime, lost two in OT and one in a shootout…Philip Larsen, who was taken off the ice on a stretcher after a hit from Taylor Hall Tuesday night, was released from hospital in New Jersey Wednesday morning and was cleared to return to Vancouver while the Canucks continue on a five-game road trip…After waiving Jhonas Enroth, the Maple Leafs search for a backup goalie continues. They signed Karri Ramo to a professional tryout contract and assigned him to their farm team. That should cure everything…The Coyotes have been outscored 14-6 and have averaged 41 shots against per game in an 0-3-1 month of December…All nine of Matt Duchene’s goals this season have come on the road. The Avs could use that kind of production at the Pepsi Center, where they’re 4-8-1 this season and recently went 0-4-1 on a five-game homestand.